WLC Bulletin Spring 2021

14
Bulletin westlothiancouncil @LoveWestLothian
A big-hearted West Lothian Council waste
collection crew have been crowned top of
the league for spreading Christmas cheer.
?
West Lothian
Community
Choices
The crew of Rob, Stuart and Declan
enjoy a great rapport with the
residents on their beats, and often
hand out gifts at Christmas to the
children they see and wave to
during the year.
They also enjoy regular football
banter with massive Hibs fan Bill
from East Calder. When Bill told the
crew that he has no family and was
going to be spending Christmas
alone, they knew they had to do
something to brighten his day.
So the crew bought Bill a Hibs
football top, and arranged for it to
be signed by the Hibs team through
club captain David Gray, who lives in
West Lothian.
Waste operative Rob Callander said:
“Bill’s a great guy and always comes
out for a quick chat and some
football banter with us when we are
emptying his bins.
“When he said he was spending
Christmas alone, we wanted to do
something special for him. He’s Hibs
daft, so we all chipped in to get him
the football top.
“Huge thanks for Hayley and
David Gray for arranging to get
the top signed by the Hibs team,
Bill seemed really delighted to get
it and hopefully it’s helped make
sure he has the great Christmas he
deserves.”
Executive councillor for the
environment Tom Conn said: “It’s
fantastic to see Rob and his crew go
Waste team of Rob, Stuart and Declan hand
over the football top to Bill from East Calder.
above and beyond to bring some
festive cheer to a local resident like
Bill this year.
“We have received a lot of positive
messages regarding our dedicated
waste crews over the festive
season, as they worked tirelessly
throughout the pandemic to ensure
collections were not disrupted.
“The thanks they have received
from local residents shows just
how much their efforts have
been appreciated during a very
challenging year.”
Communities in West Lothian are being
given the chance to influence how budgets
in their area are allocated through a process
called Community Choices.
Community Choices is allowing local communities and service users
to have their say on a how funds are used on a variety of projects and
services using the digital voting platform CONSUL.
The process has already started in a number of areas with local
initiatives aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the local
community in Blackburn set to be voted on by the local community
and an early consultation process looking at how funds can be spent
on the maintenance and improvement of a selection of parks and
open spaces across West Lothian has begun.
There will be many more opportunities to participate in Community
Choices in the months ahead.
To find out more about Community Choices and how you can get
involved visit: www.westlothian.gov.uk/communitychoices
NEWS IN BRIEF
For more West Lothian news visit: news.westlothian.gov.uk
New fire and smoke alarm
rules delayed
The implementation of the new Fire and
Smoke Alarm Standard has been put back
to February 2022
The Scottish Parliament have agreed
to postpone the new rules requiring
all homes to have interlinked smoke
and cheat alarms due to the impact of
COVID-19.
The new standard was due to be
implemented in February 2021 in response
to the Grenfell tragedy, and puts the
responsibility on the home owner to
ensure the standard is met.
For tenants, the duty is on the owner of
the property, so landlords are advised to
check the legislation and make sure their
properties meet the new standard by
February 2022.
The council is currently in the process
of ensuring that all our homes meet the
new standard. Council tenants will be
contacted to agree a convenient date to
access their home and complete the work.
Installation of alarms is classed as
essential work, so is permitted under the
lockdown rules in force as Bulletin went to
print.
For more details of the new standard,
please visit
www.gov.scot/publications/fire-andsmoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/
Huge drop in emissions for
Climate Change Declaration.
West Lothian Council has reduced its
greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in the
last seven years.
This is double the 20% target approved
in 2015 as the council continues to take
major steps to reduce our environmental
impact.
This represents a reduction in CO2
emissions from 61,061 tonnes in 2013/14
to 36,635 for 2019/20, a drop of 24,426
tonnes.
Executive councillor for the environment
Tom Conn said: “There’s still a good deal
of work to do, but I’m pleased that we
are playing our part to reduce emissions
while continuing to deliver all the essential
services that local residents rely on.”
Raising awareness of
endometriosis in West Lothian
West Lothian Council is supporting the
work of Endo Warriors West Lothian
in raising awareness of the condition
Endometriosis and the debilitating effect it
can have on those with the condition.
Endo Warriors West Lothian is a local
independent support group set up
to raise awareness of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a painful condition that
affects around 1 in 10 women and for
which there is currently no cure.
It takes an average of eight years for
a woman to be diagnosed, despite
endometriosis being the second most
common gynaecological condition in the
UK.
Executive councillor for Education David
Dodds said: “We are pleased to continue
to support the efforts of the Endo Warriors
West Lothian group in their vital work in
raising awareness of endometriosis. It is a
condition that has gone undiagnosed for
many women and girls for far too long.”
Be the Light in the Darkness
West Lothian marked Holocaust Memorial
Day on 27 January 2021.
It has been held in the UK since 2001
and is a time to reflect and remember
the millions of people who have lost their
lives in the Nazi Persecution, Holocaust,
and subsequent genocides in Cambodia,
Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
West Lothian Council is one of thousands
of organisations across the UK that is
marking the event this year, which has the
theme of ‘Be the Light in the Darkness’.
As it was not possible to hold an event
this year, a special video has been
produced and can be watched at
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=NneiP8QhJts
Historic wall restoration
project ongoing
Work is ongoing to restore a historic
C-listed wall dating back to the 1800s
within scenic Almondell & Calderwood
Country Park.
The stone and lime mortar wall, which
borders the original walled garden of
the old Almondell Estate, was in danger
of being lost due to its deteriorating
condition.
The £200k restoration work project is
being funded by the National Lottery
Heritage Fund (previously Heritage Lottery
Scotland) and West Lothian Council with
support from Sustrans Artroots Project
and Scotmid.
Executive councillor for the environment
Tom Conn said: “It’s fantastic to see work
underway to ensure the historic wall
next to the visitor centre in Almondell &
Calderwood Country Park is preserved for
future generations.”
Online blast from the past for
West Lothian pupils
An innovative project aims to help West
Lothian school pupils connect with the
past in a COVID-19 secure way.
The council’s Museums Service have
been awarded a COVID-19 Museum
Development Fund grant of £7,562 from
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) to help
deliver online school outreach sessions
following a successful pilot scheme.
Called Re-engaging Our Schools, the
funds will enable the service to develop
and fit out nine new covid-safe museum
loan boxes featuring historical items for
use by schools and purchase microphones
for use in virtual school sessions.
A series of films to complement the loan
boxes will also be produced, which will be
accessible via GLOW for both in-school and
home learning.
Executive councillor for culture and
leisure Dave King said: “The Re-engaging
Our Schools project will build upon our
school pilot project, and ensure that we
are able to offer West Lothian’s schools a
high-quality museum service throughout
the pandemic and into the future.”